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Discovering
Justice in the Old Testament - Leader’s Edition includes
Discovering Justice - Student Edition plus additional introduction
material, scripture commentary, and notes for the leader for use with
a small group Bible study.

*****

Contents

Author - Bruce
Reed Pullen

Preface –
Decalogue (Ten Commandments)

Part One: The Torah
– Justice Defined

1. What Is Justice?
(Exodus 23)

2. Love People
(Leviticus 19)

3. A Second Chance
(Leviticus 25)

4. Love God
(Deuteronomy 6 & 10)

Part Two: The Kings
– Justice Administered

5. Samuel and Saul (I
Samuel 8, 9)

6. David (2 Samuel 23 &
I Chronicles 18)

7. Solomon (I Kings 3)

8. Joram and Elisha (2
Kings 8)

9. Jehoshaphat (II
Chronicles 19)

Part Three: The
Prophets - Justice Promised

10. The Promise of
Justice (Psalm 146)

11. The Promise of Hope
(Isaiah 9)

12. The Promise of Just
Leadership (Jeremiah 33)

13. The Promise of
Peace (Ezekiel 34 & 45)

Recommended Reading

14. Four books about
justice

*****

The
Author - Bruce Reed Pullen

Bruce Reed Pullen is
a graduate of Rutgers University (B.A.), Colgate Rochester Divinity
School (B.D.), Princeton Theological Seminary (Th.M.), and Palmer
Theological Seminary (D. Min.). He has served as senior pastor in
churches in Hopewell, New Jersey; Burlington, Iowa; Alton, Illinois;
and Westfield, Massachusetts, and as an interim pastor in
Williamstown, Massachusetts; New London, New Hampshire, and
Warrenville, Illinois. Bruce, and his wife, Judy, are retired and
live in Illinois. He is the author of several books, including:

Discovering Celtic
Christianity – Ten Celtic Saints You Should Know

Discovering Baptist
Beginnings – Ten Early Baptists You Should Know

Discovering the
Prophets in the Old Testament - Student and Leader Editions

Advice from Paul -
from his Letters to the Thessalonian and Philippian Christians

Discovering Joy –
Reflections on Paul’s Letter to the Philippians

Discovering Justice
in the Old Testament - Student and Leader Editions

Preface

The Covenant

Before the
Constitution, before the Magna Carta, before the Roman Empire and its
Senate, there was the Covenant revealed and ratified by God through
Moses on Mount Sinai. It included the Ten Commandments among the laws
we are to observe. Interpretation of these laws soon followed. What
evolved laid the foundation for peace within the community. Over the
years it has influenced the world view which led eventually to the
creation of our constitution.

God said to the
people of Israel: “I am the Lord your God, the one who brought you
out of Egypt where you were slaves. Do not worship any god except me.
Do not make idols that look like anything in the sky or on earth or
in the ocean under the earth. Don’t bow down and worship idols. I
am the Lord your God, and I demand all your love. If you reject me, I
will punish your families for three or four generations. But if you
love me and obey my laws, I will be kind to your families for
thousands of generations. Do not misuse my name. I am the Lord your
God, and I will punish anyone who misuses my name. Remember that the
Sabbath Day belongs to me. You have six days when you can do your
work, but the seventh day of each week belongs to me, your God. No
one is to work on that day - not you, your children, your slaves,
your animals, or the foreigners who live in your towns. In six days I
made the sky, the earth, the oceans, and everything in them, but on
the seventh day I rested. That’s why I made the Sabbath a special
day that belongs to me.

Respect your
father and your mother, and you will live a long time in the land I
am giving you. Do not murder. Be faithful in marriage. Do not steal.
Do not tell lies about others. Do not want anything that belongs to
someone else. Don’t want anyone’s house, wife or husband, slaves,
oxen, donkeys or anything else.”

The Constitution

In the summer of
1787 fifty-five men representing twelve states gathered in
Philadelphia to create a constitution. The delegates were well
educated with vast practical experience. Most desired a strong
government. Edmund Randolph from Virginia proposed a national
government patterned after a plan Virginia was using which called for
three branches: Legislative, Executive and Judiciary. By the end of
the summer the new constitution had taken form with James Madison
being responsible for most of the actual drafting. It outlined an
original form of government, more national than federal, derived from
both ancient and contemporary forms. The main criticism of the
document was it had no Bill of Rights. The constitution was finally
adopted when New York, Virginia, and Massachusetts all ratified it
after being assured one would be adopted.

These reflections in
Discovering Justice in the Old Testament are about justice and
the way it is defined, enacted and promised. The call for justice is
a call to set right what is not right (injustice). It is a call for
fairness and equity in our relationships with God and each other.

Part One: Justice
Defined. The Torah (the first five books of the Bible) defines
justice and then asks what does God require of us?

Part Three:
Justice Promised. The promise of justice is proclaimed by the
psalmist and the prophets Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel.

Dr. Bruce Reed
Pullen, May 2017

*****

Part
One: Justice Defined - The Torah

Chapter
1 - What is Justice?

An
Introduction to Exodus

Freed from Egypt,
the slaves escaped into the Sinai Desert under the leadership of
Moses heading toward Mt. Sinai. Three months after crossing the Reed
Sea, the tired pilgrims having reached the holy mountain of Sinai,
camped near the place where Moses met God at the burning bush.

After the slaves
gave thanks to God for the mighty acts that freed them, they
wondered, “What does God expect of us in return?” They watched as
Moses climbed the mountain and disappeared into the mist; then they
waited expectantly for him to return with a word from God.

God made a covenant
(an agreement) with them that would be foundational for their future
relationship. This covenant, found in the Book of the Covenant
(Exodus 19-24), was the basis upon which a faith community was
formed.

The covenant
(Decalogue or Ten Commandments Exodus 20:1-21) was, for the newly
formed community, the basic rule or order by which the people would
live in relationship with God and each other. Israel was to be a
little “Kingdom of God” on earth and this covenant was to be its
guide in understanding what it meant to live a just life in obedience
to the king, God.

While camping in the
desert the Israelites established the foundations for their national
life. Using the Ten Commandments as a base or constitution, they
began to define what justice means in everyday life (case law).

The Covenant Code
(Exodus 20:22-23:33) is a lengthy collection of case law compiled to
interpret the Decalogue and define what it means in everyday life.
These case laws are specific attempts to apply God’s principles to
the lives of those who are struggling to bring what they do into
conformity with the covenant.

Wherever and
whenever this case law originated, it has been compiled here and
applied to what it means to live a life in relationship with God and
others. Because it is placed in this context (after the Decalogue) it
is a theological assertion that at this point in time this is what is
required of the people of God.

The opening verse
(Exodus 20:23) of this case law collection is a variation on the
first two of the Ten Commandments. It introduces the rules from
Israel’s only God for just living. The material that follows is a
series of attempts within the community to more fully discern the
mind and will of God for everyday life.

What follows is case
law or guiding decisions that have resulted from cases and have now
become authoritative. These are stated guidelines for living in
relationship with God. While these guiding decisions are based on the
principles underlying the Ten Commandments, they usually are examples
of crimes to the covenant community not specifically mentioned in the
Decalogue.

The first extended
section of case law deals with the way slaves both male and female
are to be treated. Case law continues in the next chapter (Exodus 22)
with comments on theft and the protection of property. The variety of
legal codes in the Covenant Code are given their unity by its
theological purpose, the compiling and application of the principles
of a just life lived in covenant with God. The case law is put in
three forms: commandments; prohibitions; and “here is what you
should do to right a wrong.”

Near the end of
Exodus 22 (22:20-26) there are a series of prohibitions and commands
which focus, as does our printed text (Exodus 23: 1-9), on the
defenseless and disadvantaged, the needy and the newcomer. These
humanitarian concerns are reflected throughout the Old Testament in
every major aspect of its teachings as we are to discover during this
study on justice.

The newcomer or
tourist (foreigner or alien) was often without connections and so was
open to abuse. Because the people of Israel had experienced abuse in
Egypt and knew how it felt, God asked them to treat non-Israelites,
not as they had been treated when they were visitors in a foreign
land, but fairly, as they had hoped to be treated.

Our compassionate
God confesses here a special concern for the poor (Exodus 22:24-26)
which explains these guiding principles and commands related to the
defenseless members of the covenant community.

Members of the
covenant community (Exodus 22:27-30) are to respect God. Disrespect
is shown when any of God’s guiding principles or commands are
ignored or disobeyed. Examples would be cursing a leader in the
covenant community; another would be to not support the community as
the covenant requires. Leaders were elected by the people under the
guidance of God. To show disrespect for a leader then meant showing
disrespect for the God of the covenant.

We are called to not
only be gracious, but to also be generous. In that day if you were
blessed by a good crop, you were called to generously give a little
more than usual to God (Exodus 22:29). The principle holds for us
today.

Scripture
Commentary - Exodus 23

Exodus 23:1-9
consists of provisions concerned with ethical and humane behavior
intended to safeguard the community through the practice of justice.

Exodus
23:1-3.Rumors and Reputations. Spreading rumors, both good and
bad, may affect legal procedures in the covenant community. Reports
are to be grounded in fact and testimony is to be honest. Doing wrong
just because others, including the majority, are doing it is
forbidden. Although the focus is on false witness, the underlying
concern is the perversion of justice. Just following the majority
opinion (mob rule) may cause a great miscarriage of justice.

Exodus
23:4-5.Kindness, not Revenge. The guiding principle here is to
not take advantage of another’s bad luck even if the person is
someone you dislike. Out of kindness you would probably catch a stray
animal or help a stranger rearrange a load, but if the stray belongs
to someone you hate, you might hope for the worst to happen. As a
member of the covenant community, you are to wish for the best for
even those you dislike. For the sake of the neighbor and the health
of the community, you have responsibilities that override you
emotional inclinations. The community depends on neighborly acts that
enhance the life of all. When we apply God’s laws of fairness and
kindness to our enemies, we show how different we are from the rest
of the world.

Exodus 23:
6-8.Legal instructions. Bribes are not to be accepted since a
bribe may change the result making the judgement unfair thus
perverting justice. The courts are affirmed as the place where
justice should be practiced. A genuine commitment to the rights of
all concerned should limit the manipulation of the law. Justice is
derived from the commitment of the community to do right and treat
others fairly.

Exodus
23:9.Compassion. We are to have compassion for the disadvantaged
person because our people were once disadvantaged (foreigners in the
land of Egypt (23:9). This verse “portrays a passionate commitment
to the maintenance of a community in which all members are safe and
respected, in which due process is guaranteed, and in which selfish
interest is curbed for the sake of the weaker, more vulnerable
members of society.”1

Exodus 23:33.
The Covenant Code concludes by reaffirming that Israel is to have no
other gods, not in any form, not for any reason.

A
Small Group Bible Study

Scripture Study:
Exodus 23: 1-9

Focus Verse: Make
sure that the poor are given equal justice in court. (Exodus
23:6)

What Is Justice?

An answer lies in
the Old and New Testament writings which mention the word “justice”
over a thousand times. We all have a strong intuitive sense of what
justice is. Even young children have an innate sense of justice. How
many times have you heard them complain, “That’s so unfair.”

Jesus calls us to
love God and love people. We can affirm that principle, but how do we
put it into practice? Aristotle considered slavery to be an essential
part of a just society, while British and American abolitionists
declared slavery was the highest form of injustice. We all know
justice is important in our lives although we may disagree on what it
means to do what is just.

1. How do you
define justice?

2. What are some
examples of the justice system at work as seen in the news?

And So We Have
Rules

And so we have rules
to define what we have agreed is a just and fair way of living. In
the first part of this book we will review some of the codes or rules
for living that are found in the Torah. Do rules make you
uncomfortable? Ever quote, as I have, “Rules are meant to be
broken?” Even when I know they may be good rules, rules often
bother me because they limit my freedom.

Have you ever tried
to play a game without rules? Imagine what football would be like
without any rules. We may argue over the rules and demand instant
replay when they are broken, but we know very well that if there are
no rules, or if people disregard the rules, the game will be very
frustrating, and perhaps harmful, because it will be unfair. So it is
with life, and God knows it. God has given us some rules; we have
made up others. Although most of them are not very complicated, they
are very essential. When we all play the game of life by them, life
becomes more satisfying. When we break the covenant rules, we may
damage our relationship with God and each other.

3. Do rules make
you uncomfortable? Did you ever say, “Rules are meant to be broken?
Do you feel that rules limit your freedom?

4. Although there
are specific rules for playing games such as Monopoly and Scrabble,
did you ever make up some rules to “better” facilitate a game?
What were they?

The Book of the
Covenant (Exodus 19 through- 24)

Freed from Egypt,
the slaves escaped into the Sinai Desert. Under the leadership of
Moses they headed toward Mt. Sinai. Three months after crossing the
Reed Sea, the tired pilgrims reached the holy mountain of Sinai
camping near where Moses first met God at the burning bush.

The slaves gave
thanks to God for the mighty acts that had freed them. Then they
asked, “What does God expect of us in return?” Moses climbed the
mountain and disappeared into the mist as they watched and waited
expectantly for him to return with a word from God.

God made a covenant
(an agreement) with them that would be foundational for their future
relationships. This covenant, the Book of the Covenant, is the basis
upon which a faith community was formed. No document has influenced
Western culture to the degree the Book of the Covenant which includes
the Ten Commandments has done. In Western civilization, it has a
position of inescapable significance. For Christians and Jews this is
one of the few formulations of religious principles held in common.
In many churches, knowledge of the Ten Commandments is a requirement
for membership and its recitation is included in every worship
service. The civil law of many countries is rooted in the covenant
law of God given at Sinai.

The Decalogue or Ten
Commandments (Exodus 20:1-21) was a guide for the new community.
Israel was to be a little Kingdom of God on earth and the covenant
was to be its guide in understanding what it meant to live a just
life in obedience to the king, who, in a theocracy, is God.

While camping in the
desert the Israelites formulated the foundations for their national
life. Using the Ten Commandments as a base, they developed their
initial agreements for the worship of God and for their
responsibilities to one another (case law). The Book of the Covenant
begins and ends with the same command: the covenant community is to
have no other gods that God (Yahweh) in any form and for any reason.
It was the primary guide to applying the Ten Commandments to the
conduct of life in relationship to God.

5. What are some
examples of case law (rules on how to treat others fairly, which are
based on our constitution?

The Covenant Code
- Exodus 20:22 through 23:33

After Moses
confirmed God had spoken to him, he proceeded to interpret for the
people what these commandments meant for their daily lives. The
Covenant Code and the Holiness Code (see chapters two and three) are
a lengthy collection of case law compiled to interpret the Decalogue
and to describe what it meant to live a just life in covenant with
God. These laws are specific attempts to apply God’s principles to
the lives of those who are struggling to bring what they do into
conformity with the covenant.

Wherever and
whenever this case law originated, it was applied to the lives lived
in relationship with God and others. Because they are placed in this
context (after the Decalogue), they are a theological assertion that
at this point in time and in this place this is what is required of
the people of God for living a just life in relationship with God and
each other.

The opening verse
(Exodus 20:22) of the case law collection links it to the preceding
section. After Moses confirms God spoke with him, he proceeds to
interpret for the people what the commandments mean for their daily
lives. What follows is case law, rules on how to treat others fairly,
which have resulted from judgments in past cases and have now become
authoritative. These guiding decisions are based on the principles
stated in the Ten Commandments.

The Covenant Code
includes a variety of legal codes which are given their unity by its
theological purpose, the compiling and application of rules for
living a just life in covenant with God. The forms include
commandments (do this); prohibitions (don=t
do this); and a form that asks and then answers what should be done
to right a wrong. These humanitarian concerns for fairness and
justice are reflected throughout the Old Testament in every major
aspect of its teachings.

Rumors
and Reputations - Exodus 23:1-3

Ethical
behavior, both good and bad, has a direct connection with legal
procedures in the covenant community. Reports are to be grounded in
fact and testimony is to be honest. Doing wrong just because others,
including the majority, are doing it is forbidden.

6.
What are some examples of unethical behavior mentioned here?

Kindness,
not Revenge – Exodus 23:4-5

Next
Exodus advises not to take advantage of another’s bad luck even if
it is someone you dislike. For instance, you would probably catch a
stray animal or even help a stranger rearrange a load, but you might
not if the animal belongs to someone who hates you. As a member of
the covenant community, you are to wish the best for those who
dislike you and to treat them fairly. Jesus surprised many by
advocating the same thing many years later.

7.
Can you give an example of an event in which you or someone else was
tempted to wish for the worst to happen to someone instead of wishing
the best for them?

Legal
Instructions – Exodus 23:6-9

The
text concludes with legal instructions. Bribes are not acceptable
because by changing the result a bribe may make the judgement unfair.
And finally we are advised to treat the disadvantaged person with
compassion, just as God treated each member of the covenant community
with compassion when they were slaves in Egypt. The Covenant Code
concludes (Exodus 23:33) by reaffirming Israel is not to worship any
other gods, not in any form, not for any reason.

8.
Can you give an example of a perceived perversion of justice for the
poor? What can persons of faith do to protest the inequality and
injustice that the poor suffer?

9.
What are some ways a judgment may be subverted? (Ex. Bribes)

10.
Recall a time when you or someone you knew who was disadvantaged was
treated with compassion. What impact did being treated with
compassion have on your understanding of God and of others. What were
you encouraged to do as a result of the experience?

Why
have rules or laws?

We
have laws because we are created not only to be free, but to live
responsibly in relationship with others. Some years ago Norman
Rockwell did a cover for the Saturday Evening Post of a woman buying
her Thanksgiving turkey. The turkey is lying on the scales and the
butcher is standing back of the counter, apron pulled tight over his
fat stomach, a pencil tucked behind his ear. The customer, a lovely
lady of about sixty, is watching the weighing-in. Each of them has a
pleased look as if each knows a secret joke. There is nothing unusual
about a butcher and a customer watching as a turkey is being weighed,
but the expression on their faces indicates that something unusual is
going on. Rockwell lets us in on the joke by showing us their hands.
The butcher is pushing down on the scales with a big fat thumb while
the woman is pushing up on them with a dainty forefinger. Neither
seems to be aware of what the other is doing. Both the butcher and
the lady would resent being called a thief, but neither saw anything
wrong with a little deception that would make a few cents for one or
save a few cents for the other. Rockwell has painted a picture of how
we seek to live, trying to manipulate life for our own advantage. The
laws of the covenant remind us there are eternal laws or rules by
which we must abide when we live in community if we are to live a
just life.

Law,
in ancient times, as well as today, serves to regulate and control
interpersonal relationships, to maintain the stability of community
life, and to guarantee justice as justice is perceived. The law bound
a mixed group of slaves together and made them a nation, Israel, a
community that endures to the present day. The law became the outward
expression of their covenant with God, so we call it Covenant Law.
Their response to the covenant was to obey the law. This band of
slaves, unorganized, untrained, unprepared for what lay ahead kept
the commandments because of what God had done for them - allowed them
to leave Egypt.

11.
We have laws in order to live responsibly in relationship with
others. What new rules would you make if you could? What old rules
would you void if you could?

Conclusion

These
Ten Commandments, or rules, or principles, or guidelines, whatever
you wish to call them, are a formula for the creation of a community,
a design for the making of a nation. In these words the new community
in Jesus finds its life, bases its unity, and discovers the place for
anchoring its life.

The
first four of the Ten Commandments relates to our relationship with
God and the last six to our relationships with each other. These
vertical and horizontal relationships of life are symbolized in the
cross. The law reminds us that neither of these relationships can be
ignored, and neither is to receive emphasis to the exclusion of the
other. Jesus would sum it up later by saying, “Love God and Love
People.” Everyone desires and deserves justice. How do we act
justly toward others? We treat them fairly and with respect observing
the guidelines given us by God.

12.Why is it important to
first love God and then to love others? How does this help pave the
way to a just society?

Prayer

Eternal
God, you taught us we may live a full and meaningful life if we love
you and love people. Help us to know and serve others fairly and with
respect, so we may show by what we do that we truly love you; through
Jesus we pray. Amen.

Additional
Notes for the Leader

The
Book of the Covenant,
beginning with the Decalogue (Ten Commandments) followed by the
Covenant Code (case law), contains rules for just living given by
God. This case law with its guiding principles, commands, and
prohibitions is part of this collection which seeks to maintain just
relationships in covenant with God and others. It begins and ends
with the same command: the covenant community is to have no others
gods than God (Jehovah, Yahweh) in any form and for any reason. The
Covenant Code is a compilation of case law made over a period of
time. The laws are in a variety of forms reflecting various sources.
Law is not a matter of settled conclusions. It is an ongoing process
of compromise to see what will work and what is acceptable. Laws do
not have a once for all time meaning and intention as you can see
from these case laws. As an example you may wish to discuss laws that
are now out of date, some of which may still be on the books in some
states and cities. Or you may wish to discuss recent Supreme Court
rulings that change what was the accepted law of the land.

The
Covenant Code is significantly placed in the narrative between the
Sinai event with the revealing of the Ten Commandments and the formal
agreement to the covenant. It was the primary guide to applying the
Ten Commandments to the conduct of life in relationship to God. It
seeks to discover how to serve the living God. That is why it begins
and ends as it does.

Church
Covenants. Some churches were
founded on a covenant agreement, a solemn promise or agreement by a
community of faith to walk in the Way of Jesus. The early Christians
saw themselves as a community bound together by a covenant that was a
free, creative reinterpretation of the older traditions. They spoke
of a new covenant sealed with the blood of Jesus. The Sinai covenant
established a community based on the Ten Commandments; the new
covenant created a community based on the commandments to love God
and love people.

Congregations
create church covenants to succinctly express what it means to be a
loving and purposeful people of God. A clearly phrased, meaningful
covenant used in a significant way by a dedicated congregation can be
a springboard for meaningful ministry and mission.

Some
congregations, having organized around a covenant, still
traditionally reaffirm their covenant with God and each other during
the service during which they also celebrate communion. Whereas
covenants in the past were often lengthy and detailed, the revised
covenants of many contemporary churches are succinct and to the
point, written in a style that is clearly understood and easily read.
Covenants express how Christians agree to live together the new life
in Jesus. Here is a contemporary covenant for your contemplation.

“Having
been led by the Spirit of God to love and follow Jesus Christ, we do
now joyfully covenant with God and each other:

to
walk together in Christian love;

to
worship God, observing the Lord’ s Supper and Baptism;

to
commit ourselves to prayer and Bible study;

to
love and forgive others, as God loves and forgives us;

to
pray for and help others in times of sickness and distress;

to
contribute cheerfully to the mission of the church;

to
share our faith with our families, friends, and neighbors;

to
pray and work for a spirit of unity among all Christians;

to
strive for justice, freedom, and peace in our world; and

to
join with some other Christian Church when we move from this
community.

In
every area of our lives, we will strive to do God’s will to the
honor and glory of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Amen!”

You
may wish to discuss your church covenant or this one.

You
may wish to try to get behind the law and discover its spirit; what
does God desire for human life lived in covenant. What are some
decisions we must make to get through the day in covenant with God.

Our
beliefs are the basis of our ethics, what we are called to do. They
affect our politics and our economics. They are reflected in our
judicial code. You could identify a social, economic, or legal
injustice in your community, region, or nation and discuss possible
solutions in which your class could be involved. You may wish to have
some current newspaper articles to highlight just or unjust practices
in the community.

Is
there a difference between God’s justice and the way justice is
dispensed in our court system? In the middle ages church and state
had separate courts.

The
Covenant Code tried to define what justice meant, not only for our
neighbors, but also for aliens and immigrants. What would be a fair
way to handle our immigration problem?

*****

Chapter
2 – Love People

Introduction
to Leviticus

How
was the relationship with God forged in the wilderness to be
maintained? The Torah or Pentateuch which is divided into five books
of which Leviticus is the third one seeks to answer that question.
The focus of the book is worship and just living by the people as led
by the priests, the sons of Aaron.

Moses
has set up the Tabernacle and God’s Spirit has made its home there.
Now God gives Moses some directions for worship in the new sanctuary.
The book opens with a complex introduction and continues with a
series of speeches by Moses that inform the people of what it means
to live as God’s just people.

The
first four set the stage for what follows (Leviticus 17-26). The
priests and congregation, now cleansed and forgiven, are spiritually
prepared to hear the message God tells Moses to repeat. “Speak to
all the congregations of the people of Israel and say to them: ‘You
shall be holy for I the Lord your God am holy (Leviticus 19:2).’”
This pattern is often repeated in most Christian worship services as
the congregation confesses, is forgiven, and hears the word read and
preached.

The
community had a significant role in shaping the Torah which, in turn,
was a major force in forming the character and culture of Israel.
Contemporary communities of faith are also shaped and empowered by
God’s word as they discover it in the Bible and adopt guidelines
for living.

The
Day of Atonement (Leviticus
16) is a high holy day in the Jewish calendar. On this day Jews
abstain from earthly pleasures as they seek forgiveness for their
sins. In early Israel the high priest officiated on this day
cleansing the temple of Israel’s sins. The Day of Atonement
continues to be Israel’s most important and solemn day of the year
although now it is observed by fasting and prayers instead of
sacrifices.

The
Holiness Code (Leviticus
17-26). The Holiness Code follows the description of the Day of
Atonement (Leviticus 16). It seeks to set out the ethical and cultic
standards that a people, forgiven on the Day of Atonement, are to
follow. Our scripture studies for this session and the next come from
this Holiness Code, named for its many references to holiness and for
its constant cry to “be holy.” Often the proclamation, “I am
the Lord your God,” is found at the end.

Now,
instead of addressing the priesthood, Moses is told by God to speak
to the people (Leviticus 19:1-2). In his first speech (19:3-18) Moses
reminds the people of the commands of the Decalogue or Ten
Commandments.

After
calling them to live a holy life, laws or guidelines for holiness are
given. These laws, ranging from the moral to the civil and religious,
have been characterized as “the Torah in brief.”

The
call to “Be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy (Leviticus
19:2)” is the key verse introducing the chapters defining what it
means to be “holy” in your personal conduct. Besides social
ethics (Leviticus 19), there are chapters on worship and family
relations (20), the priesthood and the festivals (21-23), and on the
Sabbath (25). To be holy is to imitate God or, as we often say, do
what Jesus would have us do.

Scripture
Commentary - Leviticus 19: 9-18 and 19: 33-37

Leviticus
19: 9-18 explores the areas of
social ethics: our concern for the poor (19:9-10), for the truth
(19:11-12), for employees (19:13-14), for justice (19:15-16), and for
our neighbors (19:17-18).

Leviticus
19:19-36 continues to comment
on holiness in a variety of situations including concerns for justice
for the alien.

Leviticus
19:9-10.Concern for the Poor.
The principle, caring for the less fortunate, is rooted in the Exodus
experience where God shows love for the people of Israel when they
are both poor and aliens. Grain was cut by grabbing a bundle of
stalks in one hand and cutting it with a sickle held in the other.
The landowner was asked not to go back over the field to harvest the
grain that had fallen nor to harvest the corners of the field. This
was to be left for the poor and the resident alien, those who would
have little income and little hope of earning a living (see Ruth 2).
This guideline deals with greed in the face of plenty. The rule is
well constructed: the landlord does not have to pay for the extra
grain to be harvested and the poor are given the dignity of working
for their needs. (See also Deuteronomy 24:19-22). Rabbis later set a
sixtieth of the harvest as the minimum amount for compliance.

Leviticus
19:11-12.Concern for the Truth.
We are reminded (8th
commandment) not to steal or deceive others. If asked to swear on
God’s name that we are telling the truth (and it is a lie), we are
dishonoring God’s name. Swearing falsely was used to gain control
of someone’s property. The ninth commandment (Exodus 20:16)
prohibits this. Stealing leads to deception and to swearing falsely
in order to cover up a crime. It is the opposite of loving one’s
neighbor (19:18). Justice calls us to maintain the bonds of
friendship which are based on trust.

Leviticus
19:13-14.Concern for Employees.
This verse has three prohibitions. The theme is taking something from
someone else through physical force, or power of position or
influence. An example would be holding the day’s wages to the next
day thus depriving the worker from purchasing food for his family for
the evening meal and the next day’s food. Translated for today an
employer may not use for his own profit an accounting practice that
works a hardship on his employee’s family. God judges severely
those who gain by unfairly treating their workers.

We
are not to take advantage of a person who has a handicap, especially
the blind and the deaf (Leviticus 19:14). The person seeking to live
a holy life will not take advantage of those who suffer from a
serious handicap.

Leviticus
19:15-16.Concern for Justice.
Since judges and councils, being human, are open to influence from
factors other than the merits of a case, Moses warns no favoritism is
to be shown to anyone, rich or poor.

Justice,
if it is fair, will not even lean in favor of the poor because of
feeling sympathy for them. Since God is just, we are called to be
just. The inner strength of a people resides in the integrity of its
judicial system.

We
are not to maliciously spread lies about another (Leviticus 19:16).
We are known by our reputations. Malicious gossip destroys our
influence and our character. It may even place us in danger possibly
of being killed. We are not to place another’s life at risk
(“profit by the blood”).

Leviticus
19:17-18.Concern for Our Neighbor.
Moses calls us not to hate our family members or relations (19:17).
He also warned if we do not reprove someone when we know they are
doing wrong, we are as guilty as they are.

Anger
and the desire for vengeance distorts one’s thinking so much we may
not act fairly (Leviticus 19:18). Scriptures teach that we are to
commit our loss to God who will in time hold the guilty accountable.
Meanwhile we are to be patient, confident God will right the wrong.

Following
these prohibitions, the second of the great commandments is
forcefully stated: love your neighbor (the Hebrew word may also be
translated: companion, friend, acquaintance or fellow countryman
thus meaning every member of the covenant community) as you love
yourself. It refers to anyone in Israel with whom you have contact
and asks how you are acting toward those who belong to the same group
as you do.

In
the parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37) the emphasis is on
love that aids another. Jesus expands the circle to include everyone,
especially anyone in need.

Leviticus
19:33-37.Justice for the Alien. Since
I am 80 you may forgive me for straying from the path here. This
passage is preceded (19:32) by the admonition to respect persons with
“silvery white hair (literal translation).” Proverbs 16:31 and
20:29 supports this.

Leviticus
19:33-34.Concern for strangers. The
Holiness Code calls for special regard for strangers since they were
once strangers in a foreign land. The Old Testament contains 36
warnings to Israel to be supportive of aliens, widows, and orphans.

Leviticus
19:35-37.Fairness. Justice
means fairness in weights and measures; everything is to be exact. In
order to defraud you could have one set of weights for buying and
another smaller set for selling thus increasing profits. We are
called to act justly in all our transactions. This section ends with
the command, “You shall keep all my statutes and all my ordinances,
and observe them: I am the Lord (Leviticus 9:37).” We are to put
into practice the rules given here with the understanding that at
this point in time and place, this is what God would have those who
believe in him do. The spirit of the laws found here remains. The
call to holiness still applies to these areas of life.

A
Small Group Bible Study

Scripture
Study: Leviticus 19:9-18,
33-37

Key
Verses: I am the Lord, and
I command you to love others as much as you love yourself (Leviticus
19: 17).

What
does God require of us?

Moses
answered, “Love people.” Micah answered it this way, God requires
us, “to do what is right
(justice), to love mercy (treat others fairly), and to walk humbly
with your God (love God) (Micah
6:8 NLT).” Jesus summarized it for us in the two great
commandments, “Love the Lord
your God with all your heart, soul, and mind. This is the first and
most important commandment. The second most important commandment is
like this one. And it is, “Love others as much as you love
yourself.” All the Law of Moses and the Books of the Prophets are
based on these two commandments
(Matthew 22: 37-40).”

The
Holiness Code – Leviticus 19:9-18

The
Holiness Code (Leviticus 17 to 26) sets out the ethical and cultic
rules that people living in a covenant community are to follow. It is
named for its many references to holiness and for its constant call
to “be holy.” Its proclamations usually end with, “I am the
Lord.”

1.
What are some reasons that society needs rules?

2.
What criteria (other than the Decalogue and our common sense) do we
have for determining which rules are eternal and which temporary?

3.
Who are some modern-day heroes who fight for justice (Ex. Lawyers,
judges, etc.)?

Leviticus
- The Book

Although
Leviticus is an often neglected book of the Bible, it has always been
central to Jewish life. The title, Leviticus, means something like,
“Concerning the Levites," the priestly tribe in Israel. The
book defines what it means to live in a right relationship with God.
It touches the life of everyone who reads it.

Leviticus
along with the rest of the Old Testament describes stages in the
development of the concept of justice. Scholars call this
"progressive revelation," that is, we start with very
little information and as the years roll by we become more informed.
Although we still see through a glass darkly as Paul put it, the
glass is not as dark as it was in Old Testament times. Leviticus, and
also to a greater extent the Old Testament, is important because it
clarifies the historical, linguistic, and theological background of
the New Testament for us. The importance of this particular book,
Leviticus, lies in its basic emphasis on the concept of a just God
and the people of God as agents of justice.

Holy
Living

Moses
speaks first to the priests and then the people about holiness in
their personal conduct. He reminds them first of the commands of the
Ten Commandments and then calls them to live a holy life based on it.
He concludes by giving them moral, civil, and religious rules on how
to live the holy life (Leviticus 19).

The
commandments and prohibitions set forth in Leviticus 19 address five
separate concerns: concern for the poor (19:9-10); concern for the
truth (19:11-12); concern for employees (19:13-14); concern for
justice (19:15-16); concern for our neighbors (19:17-18).

Concern
for the Poor – Leviticus 19:9-10

The
theme, caring for the less fortunate, is rooted in the Exodus
experience where God shows love for the people of Israel when they
are both poor and aliens. Grain was cut by grabbing a bundle of
stalks in one hand and cutting it with a sickle held in the other.
The landowner was asked not to go back over the field to harvest the
grain that had fallen nor to harvest the corners of the field. The
unharvested grain was to be left for the poor and the resident alien,
those who would have little income and little hope of earning a
living (Ruth 2). This principle restricts greed in the face of
plenty. The rule was well constructed: the landlord does not have to
pay for the extra to be harvested and the poor are given the dignity
of working for their needs (See also Deuteronomy 24:19-22). Rabbis
later set a sixtieth of the harvest as the minimum amount for
compliance.

4.
In what ways may we leave the “edges of our fields” for those in
need?

5.
What is our community or church doing in the area of food or shelter
provisions for the poor?

6.
What programs are provided today in urban areas where no crops are
being harvested? Are there programs that are sufficient for the
growing number of poor people in urban and rural areas?

Concern
for the Truth – 19: 11-12

In
the Commandments we are admonished not to steal or deceive others. If
asked to swear on God’s name, we are to tell the truth. If we lie,
we dishonor God’s name. Stealing leads to deception and to swearing
falsely in order to cover up a crime. In a just society we are to
love our neighbors (19:18).

7.
What were the four examples of unjust actions mentioned in the text?

8.
What are some current examples from the news of injustice from
stealing or lying?

Concern
for Employees – 19: 13-14

We
are not to take something from someone else through physical force or
power of position or influence. The example given here is withholding
the day’s wages to the next day thus depriving the worker from
purchasing food for his family for the evening meal and the next
day’s food. Therefore it was an act of love to pay them promptly.
Translated for today an employer may not use an accounting practice
for his own profit that works a hardship on his employee’s family.
God judges severely those who gain by unfairly treating workers by
paying less than they should. We are not to take advantage of a
person who has a handicap, especially the blind and the deaf. If we
are seeking to live a holy and just life, we will not take advantage
of those who suffer from serious handicaps (19:14).

9.
What rules do we need today to regulate businesses (including banks
and airlines) so they treat employees and clients fairly?

10.
What are the laws calling us to show love by respecting the
disadvantaged (deaf or blind or handicapped)?

11.
How have these laws impacted your congregation or your business? (Do
you have entrance ramps, handrails, handicapped-accessible
restrooms?) What could you do to make your church, business, home
more welcoming to the physically challenged?

12.
Cold someone in a wheelchair attend worship in your sanctuary or
class or fellowship hall or your home?

Concern
for Justice – 19:15-16

Since
judges and councils, being human, may be open to influence from
factors other than the merits of a case, Moses warns no favoritism is
to be shown to anyone, rich or poor. The inner strength of a people
resides in the integrity of its judicial system. We are not to
maliciously spread lies about another for to do so is to destroy
someone else’s reputation and cause them harm. Occasionally we read
of a teenager who has committed suicide because of bullying by other
teens. We are warned not to place another’s life at risk (“profit
by the blood” 19:16).

13.
Discuss how slander can destroy another person. A good example was
our recent political campaign.

14.
Give some examples of how to deal with bullying?

15.
Give some examples of being quick to judge others or to lie to shift
the blame on someone else?

Concern
for our Neighbors – 19: 17-18

Moses
calls us not to hate our family members or relatives. He also warned
if we do not reprove someone when we know they are doing wrong, we
are as guilty as they are. He warned about seeking revenge because
the desire for vengeance distorts our thinking so much we may not act
fairly (19:17-18).

After
all these prohibitions, he concluded with what we have come to call
the second great commandment: love your neighbor (the Hebrew word may
also be translated: companion, acquaintance, friend, or fellow
countryman thus meaning every member of the covenant community) as
you love yourself. In the parable of the Good Samaritan Jesus expands
the circle from neighbor to include everyone, especially anyone in
need (Luke 10:25-37).

16.
When has someone gone out of his or her way to help you?

17.
What motivates people to be fair?

18.
Can you recall some Old Testament tales of family tensions resulting
from hate or jealousy? How did it affect the families and
communities?

Concern
for Justice for the Alien – Leviticus 19:33-37

Moses
calls us to respect persons with “silvery white hair (literal
translation)” for to honor your elders is to honor God. The Code
then calls for special treatment for strangers because the Israelites
were once strangers in a foreign land. The Old Testament contains at
least 36 warnings to be supportive of aliens, widows, and orphans
(19:32-34).

Finally,
justice includes fairness in weights and measures; everything is to
be exact. If you were trying to defraud someone, you might have one
set of weights for buying and another smaller set for selling in
order to increase your profits. We are called to act fairly in all
our transactions (19:35-36).

19.
How do you feel when you encounter foreigners, especially those who
do not speak your language?

20.
If you were our representative in congress, discuss what you would
advocate for creating a fair system for dealing with aliens?

Leviticus
and the Holiness Code calls us to put into practice the rules given
here with the understanding that at this point in time and place,
this is what God would have those who believe in him do. The Code is
a bold, clear call to just and holy living. The people of the
covenant must seek to live a holy life in community with others in
order to best witness to our just and holy God.

Conclusion:
Love God and Love People

Jesus
calls us to love God and love people. Loving God without loving
others with whom we share this life is surely an empty response. One
of the crucial ways in which we show love for God is through loving
people. Again, that seems to be a strange command. How can anyone
order us to love someone? Note it is not a command to like people,
for that is impossible. We either like them or we don’t. It is a
command to love them, that is, to have concern for their well-being,
to be compassionate toward those in special need, to desire their
fulfillment as children of God, to have sensitivity for their
situation, and to treat them fairly.

This
call was echoed in the famous poem by Emma Lazarus that is engraved
on a tablet within the pedestal on which the Statue of Liberty
stands.

Not
like the brazen giant of Greek fame,

With
conquering limbs astride from land to land;

Here
at our sea-washed sunset gates shall stand

A
mighty woman with a torch, whose flame

Is
the imprisoned lightning, and name

Mother
of Exiles,

“Give
me your tired, your poor,

Your
huddled masses yearning to breathe free,

The
wretched refuse of your teeming shore.”

21.
Anyone ever visited the Statue of Liberty or Ellis Island? Invite
others to share stories of family members who immigrated to the U.S.
through Ellis Island.

Prayer

God
of all wisdom, give us the guidance which will allow us to serve you
well, lovingly caring for one another and faithfully proclaiming your
word in the world. Amen.

Additional
Notes for the Leader

This
speech (Leviticus 19)on
social ethics is a loud, clear, bold call to just and holy living.
The people of the covenant must seek to live a holy life in community
in order to best serve their just and holy God. This call to holy
living has four parts: worshiping God, loving others, practicing
justice while doing away with injustice, and avoiding lying.

When
Jesus called for perfection, he was making demands similar to the
ones found here. Some scholars contend that the book of James is a
sermon or series of comments on Leviticus 19:12-18. James (2:8)
quotes the second commandment as found in Leviticus 19:18. Paul
states it in his letters to the Romans (13:9) and Galatians (5:14).

The
call to be holy, since God is holy, is echoed in 1 Peter 1:15-16.
Thus we are to conduct ourselves in a way that honors God in the
community. Both the old and the new covenants consider holy living to
be the highest expression of a believer’s love for God.

*****

Chapter
3 - A Second Chance

Introduction
to Leviticus

The
Holiness Code The Holiness
Code (Leviticus 17-26). sets
out the ethical and cultic standards that a people, forgiven on the
Day of Atonement, are to follow. The year of Jubilee, Leviticus 25,
is part of the Holiness Code. The Holiness Code was named for its
many references to holiness and for its constant cry to “be holy.”
These proclamations often close with the phrase, “I am the Lord
your God.” In the Holiness Code Moses speaks directly to the people
instead of the limited conversations with Aaron, the high priest, and
his sons found in the first chapters of Leviticus.

“Be
holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy (Leviticus 19:2)” is the
key verse in the Holiness Code. The call to be “holy” is followed
by a variety of laws governing social ethics (Leviticus 19) the
priesthood (20-22), festivals (23), the Table of the Presence (24),
the seven year cycles (25), and blessings and curses (26). The
Holiness Code concludes (27) with comments on vows, gifts, and tithes
that are appended.

The
Sabbath Leviticus 23:1-3 opens
with a commentary on the Sabbath, a day of rest to be observed weekly
on the seventh day. The creation of this day of rest has been a
tremendous liberating force in our world. God frees all of us from
our daily work in order to worship God. We proclaim the lordship of
God over our daily lives by the faithful observance of the Sabbath.

Rest
from work is an essential feature of the Sabbath. Relaxation of this
rule erodes participation in community events such as festivals and
worship. Jesus invites us to find rest in him (Matthew 11:28-30) and
Hebrews speaks of the Sabbath rest (Hebrews 4:1-11). The Sabbath was
a controversial subject for Jesus. He attacked the laws making the
day, not one of joy in worship, but of heavy handed rules. Instead of
a joyous love of God, some had made the law their God. Today we are
called to set aside a day to worship God and recall our corporate
memory.

The
Festival Calendar. Leviticus 23. In
addition to the Sabbath a series of festivals and guidelines for
their observance are listed. They are: the Passover and Feast of
Unleavened Bread (23:1-8), Feast of Weeks (23:9-22), sounding of the
trumpet (23:23-25), the Day of Atonement (23:26-32), and the Feast of
Booths (23:33-43). This calendar sets the dates and duration of these
five festivals while also providing rules governing them.

Several
events in the ministry of Jesus take place during these festivals. In
order to better understand the context of Jesus’ teaching about
“living water (John 7:37-38),” we need to know about the Feast of
Booths in which prayers are asked for water for crops. The Feast of
Weeks (Pentecost) marks the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in
Jerusalem.

Just
as the celebration calendar was important then, it is important now.
Whenever we celebrate festival events (Easter, Christmas, Pentecost),
we build our community memory.